John Riccitiello, boss of Electronic Arts (EA) has spoken out about the link between violent games and actual real-world violence. His verdict? There isn't a link. 

He did however acknowledge that the industry does face a "perception" issue. This topic has become a huge thing once again since the shootings in a Connecticut school. After this the NRA (National Rifle Association) accused video games of being the one to blame, not gun control, saying that the video game industry sowed "violence against its own people." Former Green Party presidential candidate Ralph Nader went even further, saying that games publishers were "electronic child molesters".

Mr Riccitiello also chairs the US' Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB) who decides what age ratings go on a game , and the Entertainment Software Association (ESA). "There's been an enourmous amount of research done in the field about looking for linkages between entertainment content and actual voilence, and they haven't found any" he said. "Now, having said all that, and with all, if you will, humility about the world we live in, we understand that while there may not be an actual problem, given all the finger pointing going on in the press, there appears to be the perception of a problem, and we do have to wrestle with that."

His comments follow other calls for the video games industry to actually talk about the issues and do more to engage in the debate, effectively defending themselves as well. While the studies conducted may show there is no link between games and violent acts, it shouldn't be ruled out completely, but it also shouldn't be blamed on one entertainment source when there are so many other factors to consider.

Are games really responsible single-handedly for violent attacks such as the Connecticut shootings? What do you guys think? Leave us a comment.